


Adjustment Period

by sylph_feather



Series: Monsters and Men [6]
Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, F/F, Gen, The ship is what I ship but it’s pretty light, changeling!veronica
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 07:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14075859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylph_feather/pseuds/sylph_feather
Summary: Veronica’s reveal takes some getting used to, for sure.





	Adjustment Period

**Author's Note:**

> wow I cannot stop writing for this series. it’s a bit terrifying actually  
> Like most of the series, the only part you’ll hafta read is the first bit, though they do kind of tie together across the board. Sorta.

Martha is in awe of Veronica in her natural form. Of course, that does not banish the fear that trickles down her back at the serrated teeth and dagger talons, or the thoughts of what she’s been told about changelings her entire life.

  
_This is my friend_ , she hisses to herself as a freshly revealed Veronica shuffles awkwardly in front of her, unsureness emanating from her very being. Martha immediately recognizes the need for reassurance, acceptance. The unspoken question of _is this ok? Are we ok?_

  
_Yes_ , she answers by stroking her silky neck. Veronica sinks into the touch, and Martha feels a relieved sigh reverberate through her.

 

—

Eventually, it’s at the point where it seems polite enough to ask— “how?”  
Veronica gives her friend a confused look, ribs Martha and jokes, “use your words.”

  
Perhaps mid-movie was not the best place to ask, and Martha gives a nervous titter before pausing the film, Veronica crunching on popcorn with raised eyebrows.

  
“How are you a changeling? How does that... work?” Martha is a bit frustrated she can’t phrase it more eloquently, but such will have to do.

  
Veronica’s face morphs from confusion to understanding, then flits to deeper thought.

  
“Well,” she starts, then pauses as though still constructing a plan of attack.

  
“If you don’t want to say, that’s fine,” Martha assures, suddenly nervous and feeling intrusive.

  
“No, it’s just hard. Magic is... odd.”

  
Martha just laughs with Veronica, and waits for her to continue.

  
“Well, if changing is what you mean, all I have to do is kind of... think it. There’s no incantations, just pure magic,” Veronica says, easily letting her hand become clawed in a showy demonstration. Her eyes gleam with bright blue energy and she asks, “but that’s probably not what you meant, is it?”

  
In that moment she looks anything but human, and Martha pushes down the fear and hate bred from lessons branded into her mind.

  
“No, it’s not,” she agrees quietly.

  
“In fae society, everything is... very traditional. Bloodlines and shame, and all that bullshit,” Veronica explains with an irritated wave, as though she could swat such silly notions away. “Now, a runt and a half breed for such prideful things like dragons? That wouldn’t turn out well at all,” she scoffs, motioning to herself.

  
“Oh,” is all Martha can say.

  
“Yeah. I wasn’t one of those creeps who took the place of a kid willingly. My parents just left me there, to get rid of me.”

  
“Oh,” she repeats again, and wraps Veronica in a little hug.

  
“You took this harder than even I did,” Veronica laughs a little, and Martha doesn’t comment on the tightness of her voice. 

—

Soon, they’re comfortable in making jokes and talking plainly about the subject. At this point, Martha has shaken off the thoughts beaten into her, able to fully disregard the invasive toxicity injected. 

  
“What sort of changeling do you think I’d be?” Martha asks after a nice movie night.

  
They both ignore the fact that it doesn’t work like that in the least in favor for games.

  
Veronica eyes Martha up, and says, “you’re pretty pure. Maybe you’d be a unicorn or a Pegasus, or something. I’m not great with this symbolism shit.”

  
Martha pats her pink sweater fondly with a chuckle. “Why not both?”

  
“Why didn’t I think of an alicorn?” Veronica laughs, patting Martha’s shoulder— “rare, kind, and beautiful. Of course you’d fit the bill.”

  
_That_ brought a little bit of a blush to Martha’s face.

  
“It would be fun to fly with you,” she admits, going along with their little game.

  
“You don’t need to be an alicorn for that,” Veronica grins playfully, unfurling her wings and letting scales overtake her flesh. Slit blue eyes gleam at Martha.

  
“You can carry a person?” Martha queries, surprised; last she had asked, Veronica had been unsure and doubtful based on her wingspan.

  
“I’ve been practicing with weights,” she says with her deep draconian voice as she grins, feathers puffed with pride.

  
She bends down, and Martha latches onto her soft neck, twisting her hands in the feathers.

  
“Maybe we should get a rope or belt first,” Veronica says, an afterthought.

Martha kicks her lightly in the side, and the dragon chortles before setting off to her house at a light, bouncy canter.  
Martha sways her hips and bounces in time with Veronica’s gait, which the changelings helps with by keeping a short metronome in the beginning, warning the steps.

  
Veronica doesn’t say anything about discomfort, but Martha tries to not tug at her delicate down. She feels incredibly guilty when she pulls her hand away to find bits of feather clinging to it.

  
“I shed all the time,” Veronica assures quietly, then bows down to let Martha slide off her back. She softly touches her snout to Martha’s head, a light tap.

  
Martha is left to ponder the touch as Veronica slides up the wall of her house, starlight gleaming on her quiet talons.  
Martha is deep in thought, and startles when Veronica appears behind her, several belts and a roped sheet held gently in her jaw.

  
The changeling casts a glance towards her house as Martha awkwardly clambers up her back once more.

  
“Maybe we should move away from here. Don’t want to get caught,” Veronica whispers in a low hiss, and Martha settles in on her back with a nod.

  
This time, Veronica sets off at a smoother gallop, dodging in between shadows and alleys.

  
“Where are we going?” Martha says, watching the ground go by and tightening the grip on the strap looped around her friend’s neck.

  
“Forest,” Veronica replies shortly, weaving in between parked cars and road signs.

  
It is the witching hour, and the world is dead in the best sort of way. Peace and quiet settle over them, seemingly brought on by the starlight that shimmers in the trees. The pair steal away, blending into shifting shadows and barely making a sound.

  
Eventually, Veronica stops her swift movement, allowing Martha to once more slide off her back.

  
Veronica drops the twisted sheet and other belts so that Martha can make short work of wrapping them around herself and Veronica’s chest and neck. It’s shoddily put together, but the safety harness that it makes is still functional, and that’s all that matters.

  
Once Martha is firmly secure on her back, Veronica gently opens her ginormous wings and sets off as gently as she can.

The flapping still makes small tornadoes of leaves as the two depart the ground.

  
This flight, Veronica doesn’t twist and bound like a seal in the air, but merely extends her wings for a peaceful glide.

Her frills twist in bemusement as Martha chatters about the views of the expansive forest of the park, and the stars that are closer.

  
Veronica closes her eyes, letting the peace of the witching hour watch over her. With her best friend on her back and he wind below her wings, there’s nowhere she’d rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> personally I ship Martha/Veronica and it will probably become more and more prevalent as the series goes on, but this is still pretty gen “gals being pals” stuff, and most of it will probably be more on the line of “Well this still COULD be platonic” simply because I’m not a huge sucker for super romancey stuff.  
> Anyways, comments and kudos are always appreciated greatly, and prompts even more so!  
> Come scream at me on tumblr @ sylph-bird-63.


End file.
